3 free agents who received a qualifying offer who the Cubs should still consider signing

Historically, the Chicago Cubs have been leery about signing free agents with the qualifying offer attached. They've broken with that trend before for players they really liked, like Dansby Swanson, and it didn't seem to concern them too much last offseason, but Jed Hoyer generally doesn't like giving up extra value if he doesn't have to. Depending on what happens to the CBA this offseason, that penalty could be even more painful. With the team's payroll above the first luxury tax threshold in 2026, they'd have to give up both their second-and-fifth-highest draft picks and $1 million in international bonus pool cash under the current rules.

However, if there's any time to ignore those penalties, it's right now. The Cubs are coming off a disappointing 2026 season in which the gap between them and the Brewers widened into a canyon. Their rivals won the World Series while they didn't even sniff a single win in the Wild Card round. Their core is built to win now, but the only way they'll be able to do that is by going outside their comfort zone to rebuild a pitching staff riddled with question marks and holes due to free agency.

If the Cubs aren't scared off by a qualifying offer, these free agents make the most sense

While this market doesn't lack options without a QO attached, like Freddy Peralta, Michael King, or, dare I say it, Tarik Skubal, the front office can't afford to lock themselves out of good players simply because of the offer. Let's look at three players from the eight QO recipients the Cubs should still strongly consider despite the penalty. Seiya Suzuki obviously doesn't count because Chicago made the offer themselves.

Adrian Morejon

I will not stop banging the drum for Adrian Morejon until he's off the table. For so many reasons, the Padres lefty reliever is one of the best fits for the Cubs' bullpen one could possibly dream up. Since coming into his own in 2024, he owns a 2.58 ERA and 2.49 FIP, and he's coming off another monster season in which he posted a 30.4% strikeout rate and an absurd 58% ground-ball rate in a career-high 86 innings. Keeping the ball on the ground and adding more swing-and-miss should both be at the top of the team's priority list, but on top of that, he rates out by Statcast as one of the best in the game at limiting hard contact.

Of course, Morejon won't come cheap, with predictions ranging from a very doable three years and $42 million to an eye-watering five-year, $90 million pact. The Cubs have arguably never been in a better spot to hand out a monster contract to a reliever, though. They have a lot of slots locked in for once, between Daniel Palencia, Ryan Zeferjahn, and Jacob Webb at the back end, Phil Maton and Shelby Miller returning from injuries, and Ryan Rolison back in the fold. It's a solid base that could hit a new level with one very dominant arm to round them out.

If you're feeling spicy, perhaps Morejon makes even more sense as a starting pitching conversion candidate. There have been some rumblings about the possibility, and that could provide a creative solution to the Cubs' need for an arm with upside in the rotation. It'd be risky, but nobody on the market has his combination of youth and stuff.

David Bednar

If Morejon is a bit too rich for their blood, David Bednar is another strong option for the back end. He's been seen as an interesting fit for the Cubs for the past couple of years, but coming off a strong season and a half with the Yankees, he looks as enticing as ever. After a down 2024, he bounced back in a big way between Pittsburgh and New York, racking up 62 saves across 132 innings with a 2.39 ERA and 2.40 FIP since the start of 2025. His strikeout rate wasn't quite as monstrous this season at 27.1%, but he compensated for that with a groundball rate of 51.4%

Bednar, like Morejon, would also allow the Cubs to push more of their back-end guys further down the totem pole and give them a more surefire arm, albeit with more ninth-inning experience. Expectations are for him to sign a deal comparable to, but a bit better than, the three years and $51 million given to Devin Williams a year ago. MLB Trade Rumors went a bit further, though, pegging him at as much as four years, $68 million. That's a hefty price to pay, and the Yankees aren't likely to give him up without a fight, but that's what it takes to land a player who, for five of the past six seasons, has been one of baseball's stalwart closers.

Trevor Rogers

Trevor Rogers was the only starter to land a QO this year, and for good reason. Although his 2026 season with the Orioles was disappointing on paper with a 4.03 ERA in 169 2/3 innings, he looked much better under the hood. A 3.60 expected ERA and 3.45 FIP suggest some level of misfortune for the left-hander, who otherwise fits much of what the Cubs need. His groundball rate also never dipped below 46% until this past season, and he's been great over the past two seasons at limiting walks while generating plenty of whiffs.

With contract projections ranging from four years, $76 million to five years, $115 million, he's right in the Cubs' wheelhouse as a solid #2-3 rotation arm. Their Gold Glove-caliber infield defense should help him play up a bit if he can generate more ground balls than last year. The big question will be whether the front office values him enough over the many other options this offseason to take on the penalties. At the very least, he has to be on their radar, given how desperate their needs are.

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